Share this Vehicle

Description

Is the T-bucket back or has it always been this popular? If there's a funkier example of hot rodding's wild side, I don't know what it might be, but given how quickly these Model T Ford hot rods sell around here, we're guessing that there are a lot of folks who love the sheer audacity of the infamous T-bucket.

There can't be many folks out there who fail to recognize the T-bucket's famous shape: open engine, open cockpit, and a stubby deck out back, all of which have been part of the formula since day one. This particular T is a fiberglass body that was actually built back in the '70s (it's titled as a 1978 ASVE Roadster), yet it has a timeless look that will withstand the test of time. The purple paint has the right groove for the way-out T and with contrasting silver flames and pinstripes, it's got a hot-rod look that seems right. This one has a few custom touches, including a flip-up fuel filler on the turtle deck, what appear to be '70s Pontiac taillights, and a pair of diamond-plate six-shooters affixed to the deck lid. Those are interesting deviations from the usual look that make this T stand out in a crowd without erasing its identity (as if you could on a T-bucket), and we like the creativity that's in play. Someone had as much fun building this car as you'll have driving it.

Basic black vinyl with a pleated pattern is familiar to T-bucket fans and it's nicely done in this car. It's not flashy, but the way it wraps around the body tub and is attached with bright screws gives it a polished look that's absent from a lot of these cars. We also like that the steering column is at a fairly user-friendly angle, making this a car you can drive easily without feeling like you're at the helm of a city bus. There's a period-appearing wood-rimmed steering wheel with brass spokes, a smattering of Stewart Warner gauges in the flat dash, and a T-handled shifter from an early Mustang manages the transmission. The tall, vertical windshield is supported by a pair of strut rods, just as it would have been back in the early days of motoring, and the tall, peaked top is actually functional enough to keep the rain off you and remains a big part of the T-bucket's look.

A big part of the T-bucket's enduring appeal is horsepower and the exposed 350 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 up front definitely delivers. With an estimated 405 horsepower on tap and a body that weighs somewhere around 1700 pounds, you know performance is exciting. There's an Edelbrock carb and intake up top, a big honkin' cam inside, and an HEI distributor, all working to make it feel stout on the street. And since it's out there for everyone to see, it also includes a lot of polished aluminum and chrome, not to mention the headers and side pipes that totally make the look. The front suspension is your usual tubular axle with a leaf spring, while the 9-inch Ford out back hangs on ladder bars, so it's traditional all the way. Old-school chrome steelies with baby moon hubcaps are the right choice and they wear the usual big-n-little combination of 215/60/15s up front and 29x15.5-15 Mickey Thompsons out back.

Still loads of fun to drive and to look at, the classic T-bucket remains the most fun per dollar you can have with a hot rod. Call today!